Mafia Gazette Issue 20
The Mafia Gazette For All The News That Is News (E&OE) Editor In Chief: Carmela DeAngelis Managing Editor: William Randolph Hearst LOCKDOWN! THREE FAMILIES AND MORE LOCKED OUT OF NEW YORK AS WHITMAN’S PATIENCE WEARS THIN William Hearst stood high up on the platform, grasping the railing with two large hands. Below him, the printing presses and the newsroom floor toiled. Copy boys spilt coffee and got bawled out by sub-editors. Journalists made phone call after phone call. Receptionists directed a constant stream of visitors all around the building. Hearst had left the platform and returned to his office, shutting the door which immediately cut off the din. Then his phone had rang, before he even sat down. He’d listened intently for several seconds without saying a word. Then he slammed down the receiver and barged back out onto the platform, hitting the emergency button on the wall outside his office. The presses screeched to a halt and workers looked up initially angry and indignant, and then in shock and apprehension at realising it was the boss that had stopped the presses and then humour at the thought of their first reaction. In fact Hearst had just been informed that Peter Whitman, hotelier and organised crime boss, had ordered the Malevolent Empire to shut the gates of the city to the remaining three families over what he feels is a lack of respect. Befitting of a breaking news story, we don’t have all the details at this stage, but the immediate question is how the bosses of the other three families will react to being locked out of one of the nine major cities in which they operate, presumably without access to any of the businesses that they have there. Likewise, what has led Whitman to make this decision? A lack of respect for previous rules would seem to be the deciding factor, where a ban on shooting is rumoured to have been ignored by the other families. Observers will be aware that the last major lockdown was instituted by the Conceptualists in New York. Is it a coincidence that it’s the Big Apple, again, that is closed to outsiders for business this time around? Or is this perhaps a defensive measure, allowing Whitman’s crew to better monitor their neighbourhoods in the expectation of an attack? Speculation, about the success of the lockdown and the reaction of the other three families, continues. MIAMI DEATHS: DARK DAYS FOR THE SUNSHINE STATE AS LOSSES MOUNT According to the coroner he’d probably been hit at lunchtime on the day they found him, late in the evening and flat on his back on a New York factory floor in the garment district. A foreman working the evening shift had noticed a pair of feet lying between two racks of coats. Thinking a certain member of staff, who was well-known to him, had come onto his shift with a belly-full of hard liquor and passed out; the foreman had clocked on, taken a head-count and then finally approached the prone form when he realized that all of his shift were accounted for, including the guy who liked a drop of the hard stuff on his smoke breaks. Once he was close enough to see the blood, he immediately phoned the cops from an old dilapidated payphone outside. Several hours later and New York’s finest had an ID on the stiff, none other than Tim Moretti, a top-level enforcer and hitman for the Miami Syndicate, who apparently ran into some trouble in the Big Apple. Investigators immediately began to suspect foul play and questions, which as yet remain unanswered, centre around what Moretti was doing in the warehouse on that day. One theory is that Moretti was lured to a sit-down to discuss a recent dispute he’d had with members of “Pistol” Peter Whitman’s crew, formerly of Las Vegas and now based in New York. The nature of the dispute hasn’t been established but the Mafia Times reports that it involved racketeering payments, suggesting that Moretti had run into some trouble collecting his end and had resorted to violence, whacking at least two of Whitman’s goons. Every action has a reaction and Moretti’s temper apparently earned him a death sentence, which the Mafia Times, a hitherto unheard of publication, has reported came from Chicago after a high-level meeting. Others insist the decision was taken in-house, with Marco making the difficult decision to put down one of his own, acting before he was ordered. This theory would seem to hold weight, as mobsters we spoke to, off-the-record, said there was no way Whitman’s crew could have taken Miami at that time and so Marco, knowing the rules of the game and knowing that his reputation on the street would live or die based on how well he handled this problem, personally shot Moretti in the back of the head before God’s boys in Chicago leaned their considerable weight on him. Whatever his motivation, the careful and efficient handling of the problem has earned Marco_Polo much respect. As one soldier put it: “It took balls to put down his own man. Moretti was no slouch and he could have been a tough fight for Marco.” While the elimination of this latest threat to years of generally unprecedented peace, Marco’s problems continue in the form of the law. In particular he lost his long-serving Boss, known as “The Scotsman,” to a shootout in LA, with Sergeant Al Gallo of the Treasury Department earning a medal of valor for his actions in returning fire outside a launderette after the Scotsman had tried to kill him. Gone too, is Ricco Tarricane, known as the Tank. Rising quickly to the rank of Capo, he seemed destined to anchor the Miami family for years to come, before he was shot dead in Atlanta after a botched attempted hit on a federal agent. The feds are currently keen to question his son after he was reported to have sworn vengeance at the funeral of his father. As if Miami’s woes couldn’t get any worse, they lost another rank in New York as long-serving Miami Soldier PauloDinardo decided to settle a score with New York’s FrankMarino. Things didn’t go his way as Marino out-drew him, killing him instantly. The fall-out from yet another exchange of gunfire between the Miami and New York outfits has yet to be fully ascertained, but Marco is known to have lost at least one other Miami soldier to violence, as a lack of discipline among his top lieutenants becomes apparent. Conversely, Whitman’s ranks continue to swell, with mobsters of well-established stock. The rise of Quinn, Husk and FrankMarino, among many others, has not gone unnoticed. Meanwhile Chicago remains largely unchanged. The city’s top mafia figures, including Profaci, MalcolmX, Wes, Harvey Madson and others, have become stronger and more powerful, with Profaci already said to be the number one successor to God_Himself should the latter be elevated to Godfather. Detroit has expanded, with a rumoured dozen top members at Capo or above. Notable risers include Underboss EmiliaRicci and Bosses Leo-McElroy and Bentley. All of this change has led outside observers to begin to wonder whether the mob’s “big three” from the four families will soon mean Chicago, Detroit and New York, rather than Chicago, Detroit and Miami. GAMBLER’S CHOICE: VEGAS DECLARED AN OPEN TERRITORY BY THE MOB It was Jimmy McElroy who was apparently chosen as the mob’s emissary on this matter and so it fell to him to advise that the city of Las Vegas, formerly run by Peter Whitman, was being declared an open city by the four families. Sources advise that McElroy held a meeting at a social club belonging to favoured soldier Leo Lizzani, where he made clear that Street Bosses were being encouraged to take a run at forming the Las Vegas branch of the mob, subject to the Godfather’s approval. The proposal wasn’t without attached stipulations. For instance no-one affiliated with any of the existing four families is permitted to set-up in the city, serving clear notice to those ranks in the four families that they can’t use this proposal as a back door to facilitate existing leadership aspirations. This is aimed at up-and-coming hoodlums only. Likewise, none of the four families are permitted to interfere in the affairs of Vegas, ruling out the possibility that one favoured candidate of one family or another could rise above the others with the power of a family head behind them. Lastly, the families were willing to pump a 20 million dollar investment into the eventual family that forms in Sin City. Our informant tells us that the proposal was clearly supported by senior figures in Miami, Detroit and Chicago, noting that while he didn’t see Marco Polo or God Himself in attendance, some of the captains and bosses in attendance on behalf of those families spoke in such a way as there could be no doubt of their support or that this was a joint proposal, likely agreed at a meeting of the upper echelons. The proposal has already led to a brief upsurge in violence, as street gangs engage in a vicious turf war designed to impose their will on their rivals. LVPD confirms violent crimes are up 20% on figures from the previous year and three Street Bosses have already died. The first Street Boss to fall in the various street battles was Paul Ferris. Related to famous Miami Boss “The Scotsman,” Ferris waged an aggressive campaign in the hopes of becoming an early front-runner. On a Tuesday afternoon a masked hitman caught up to him at some traffic lights in downtown Las Vegas, as he sat in a pick-up truck singing along to “Merry Christmas.” The killer pumped four bullets into Ferris at close range before escaping in rush-hour traffic. The second to fall, Rosalyn, had publically declared that she would be anointed Queen of the city, with Vegas hoodlum SauceBauce serving as her right hand man and enforcer. Someone had other ideas and while the circumstances aren’t clear, SauceBauce went after rival Street Boss Spreader, who had caused something of a stir at the Detroit meeting, with several mobsters suspecting he was drunk or under the influence of drugs. Known as a something of a character and wild man, Spreader’s wayward behaviour got him noticed and his violent streak has ensured people continue to speak his name. He killed SauceBauce in a gunfight and shortly afterwards someone shot and killed Rosalyn. Police are seeking Spreader in connection with the slaying. Murdered too, was Street Boss Victor Sweet, leader of the Sweet Connection. Rumoured to run numbers and trade in political favours, he’d been actively seeking bodyguards to bolster his campaign in the city. But someone got to him in the Vegas lock-up, shanking him to death that same morning. Finally, Street Boss Dan Blackie came to the streets with loaded guns to declare war on his rivals. In yet another afternoon gunfight, on a Thursday, Blackie got the worst of it. By 5:22pm LVPD has established the crime scene and were cjhecking spent bullet-casings and drawing a chalk outline around the unfortunate Blackie, another victim of the violence that plagues our cities. And it may not end there. Gonzo, Street Boss of the Muppets, perhaps foolishly spoke up at the scene of Blackie’s declaration of war, suggesting that Spreader now ran the dominant crew in Vegas. This led Spreader to confront him on the street in an altercation seen by at least two witnesses. With Spreader’s unpredictable nature, it’s speculated that he may go after Gonzo now or at some point in the future. It remains unknown if the sons and daughters of those killed will resume their late parents’ campaigns or perhaps even join with Spreader. What is known is that the Street Boss that wins out and makes it onto the books as a fully-fledged Made Member will need associates. LESSER SPOTTED SANILI: ASSASSINS FINALLY CATCH UP TO FORMER LA LEADER The ranch on the outskirts of Dallas, Texas was a source of speculation for all the local ranch-hands and farmers in the area. Owned by a wealthy cattle magnate who had diversified into stocks and properties in Atlanta and Denver, it had been available to rent for months. The local grocer told us that the men had come, he believed, sometime in the early hours of December 1st, in two cars and carrying luggage and other items. In the days that followed the main farmhouse was clearly occupied, but none of the strangers ventured out into the open. On Friday of that week, one man was despatched to the Grocery store, where he bought two hundred dollars’ worth of supplies, including milk, bread, cheese, eggs and a local newspaper, along with thirty pounds of beef. “I closed early” Said the grocer with a smile. We asked about the men. “City types. Fancy suits. A little bit rough around the edges, he wasn’t local. And he was carrying without a permit.” This last reference was telling. The man was armed. From, what we now know, it’s likely that the man was a bodyguard to Francesco Sanili, the one-time LA Capo and founder of the Italian Protective League who had bolted after a death sentence was passed against him by the four families. Sanili had fled LA just ahead of the bullets, leaving behind long-time associates such as Aphex and Big Jim Colosimo who weren’t as lucky. Pursued by Ricardo Gomez, a tattooed Miami hitman known as 50k, and the late Miami Boss “The Scotsman,” he had lost his pursuers in Texas. The size of the state, the hot and dusty terrain and the fact that east coast mobsters stick out like a sore thumb in a cowboy territory made further pursuit difficult. But someone, somewhere, gave the mob a break and they learned the location of Sanili’s hideout. Holed up with guns and ammo and his bodyguards, his entourage had boarded up the doors and windows of the farmhouse, sending one man on a weekly supply run. A fortnight ago and with Sanili still on the run, we spoke to 50k about the entire Sanili business . We began by asking how and why Miami had become involved given that Chicago had led the attack and apparently ordered the hit, losing their long-serving Boss Jest in the process to a spectacular single shot fired by Sanili. 50k: “No it was all me. I took matters into my own hands. I didn't like the way Sanili spoke to my boss when Miami helped Chicago against LA. Also I didn't like the fact that Sanili got to live. I started it first by killing one of Sanilis bodyguards, then shanking Arlo killing Mathrim then Amy. I then took out Big Jim Colosimo. I don't know why jest shot but like I said, I didnt like how Sanili got to live.” Reporter: “What bothered you about Sanili being allowed to live? And what was it he said to your boss that bothered you? And does that mean your actions weren't ordered or approved by Miami or Chicago? That would make you a rogue, but you're clearly not a rogue, so I'm trying to get a sense of what happened once the bosses realised you were attacking him?” 50k: “They were ordered I'm not a rogue but I did it through my own reasons. Sanili said to Marco something like ‘you’re going to pay for this.’ Not sure on his exact words. I didn't like the fact Sanili was on the front line helping take out Chicago soon as their people came on. But when Miami helped and the shoe was on the other foot he got to live. I just think he should have died with his family. I also killed Chalky White and Jessie Pinkman. I don't want people getting the blame for things they didn't do. I'm not sure who killed Aphex.” With 50k quite open about the fact that he had essentially laid waste to the LA family by himself, likely killing more of their number than anyone else, things were becoming clearer. However the chain of command for the decision was not. Who ordered this and why? We decided to go to the big fish and managed to catch up with God_Himself in Chicago. Our intrepid Editor fearlessly reached through his crowd of bodyguards with a microphone as he left a Chicago hotel, earning a smack in the mouth in the process. Hearst: “I was wondering if I might have a word about Mr Sanili? I'm trying to establish who started the war with LA and I heard a rumour that you didn't personally sanction any attack on him, yet one of your bosses fired on him, costing him his life. There's also a rumour that Marco_Polo ordered him hit after a hoodlum from LA shot at him. I'm just trying to clear through the fog and establish what went down.” God was polite, but curt. God_Himself: “I’m sorry but they are just rumours, I wouldn't know anything about this.” Back to the present, a surviving bodyguard of Sanili’s now employed by another mob figure, suggested in an interview with his local paper that the boredom had seriously troubled the men, as they played poker, listened to the radio and read the local papers cover-to-cover. It wasn’t to last. The mob, waiting for Sanili to reappear somewhere more convenient for them to take their shot, finally made their move. And so it came to pass, sometime after 9pm on December 15th that bullets began to tear through the night, as the mob hitters stationed, we now believe at the Jolly Roger motel, two clicks from the farmhouse, had crept up and opened fire. They had expected a clean hit, received with thanks. Instead they got a firefight in the desert as Sanili and his partisans put up much more resistance than anticipated. At least one source puts 50k at the scene of the attack, which finally ended when the attackers departed, having finally killed Francesco Sanili and several of his bodyguards, bringing a final, ignominious end to his time at the top. One mobster who didn’t wish to be quoted said simply. “In his life he was difficult. In leaving it he was even more so.” READ ALL ABOUT IT: LATEST NEWS FROM THE HOT PRESS GETS A CHILLY RECEPTION His press card gave his name as one “Glyn Hearns,” a suitably distinguished name for the Editor of a national publication. And as the Mafia Times began hitting news-stands and stores all across the country on a chilly December 19th morning, the stories therein received national recognition. The appearance of a rival to the Gazette was both understandable and yet curious in its timing. With no fresh editions of a newspaper of any description for a month, Mr Hearns, a previously unknown journalist, apparently obtained a licence to enter the trade; doing so in spectacular fashion as his third story, about possible troubles between Miami and New York, was angrily denounced by one of the most senior Miami members, VitoCorleone. Bronson Chopper and Husk joined the chorus of disapproval, with the general consensus being that the content of the story was “garbage.” Whether true or not, the story has not been without consequences, where privately it’s understood that representatives of New York approached their Miami counterparts to pin the blame for the third article on Detroit, suggesting that the paper originated from the Motor City with the aim of destabilising relations between the New York and Miami crime families. The overtures of New York are rumoured to have their basis in a belief that Detroit has a controlling interest in the newspaper trade more generally. It’s known that two national editors exists, JackCrook of the Evening Post whose whereabouts are unknown and our own William Hearst at the Gazette. We decided to ask him about the recent newspaper. Reporter: Several Miami mobsters were very unhappy about the Mafia Times; can you clarify who was responsible for its publication? Hearst: I’m afraid I can’t, because I don’t know. Independent operators are always free to contact me in the event they wish to use our printing presses, but no-one did so on this occasion. I have had no involvement in the Mafia Times on any level. Reporter: What did you make of the paper itself? Hearst: The first article was filler. I liked the second article but it didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. The third was bogus. Reporter: What do you mean by bogus? Hearst: Well, certain assertions or innuendos were patently incorrect. The article begins by suggesting that tension is building between New York and Miami. Factually I don’t believe that is the case. You can read our account in this edition, but my understanding is that the Tim Moretti affair ended the moment he was murdered. It wasn’t, to the best of my knowledge, part of a wider plot to take over territory. We took a lead from the Times on the suggestion that Chicago ordered the hit, but equally considered that this was an in-house decision. Marco Polo is actually quite a resolute character and I personally don’t believe he would have needed much prompting to handle Moretti. He has quite a fixed purpose when he sets his mind to it and Moretti’s actions weren’t just about Whitman’s people in Vegas. They also directly challenged Marco’s authority. He was essentially telling Marco that he’d do as he pleased and daring him to stop him. Which he did. Reporter: It’s possible they simply got it wrong or they know something you don’t? Hearst: Maybe. But even in the Dinardo case, it was described how “New York overpowered Miami.” Not so. Dinardo acted alone. It would be at best unfair and at worst malicious to suggest that particular fight was New York versus Miami. Dinardo vs Marino would have been a more accurate description. Although I suppose it depends on whether you believe rogue action is truly rogue. In this case I believe it was. Reporter: So where does this leave the families? Hearst: I suspect business as usual only with more paranoia. Reporter: Can you elaborate? Hearst: Well we have fairly good info that suggests New York is accusing Detroit of publishing. By contrast elements of Detroit privately think New York published it. That suggests to me that it’s possible that neither published it. The consensus on the third article is that it was building a case for war between Miami and New York. Our lead article this edition points to how Miami’s power is generally eroding while New York increases in power. I believe that to be true, Marco has lost a lot of big names to tragic mistakes and ill-discipline. And New York has gained many new faces, some linked to Angelo DeCarlo’s time as undisputed Boss of LA. But it hasn’t come full circle to the point where New York is bigger than Miami. No way. Marco still has power; he’s personally powerful and has some fearsome enforcers working for him. Reporter: So you don’t think there is a problem between Whitman and Polo? Hearst: Well that third article also suggested Whitman might have a plan to take Miami. Again, no way. You don’t need to be Boss of Bosses to see that such a suggestion is ridiculous. Apart from the fact that I don’t see how it could be done, I also don’t see why it would be done. The only way it’d make sense was if Whitman was struggling for recruits. Which he isn’t. I’ve heard he’s a Consigliere, so he’s a big hitter in his own right. Reporter: So you think the paper was designed to cause trouble. Hearst: I’m a newspaper man but even I’d say no comment to that. Reporter: And you don’t think Detroit or New York was responsible? Hearst: You could make the argument for either. Detroit does have strong links to the press, through one name in particular that I won’t mention because it might compromise future stories. And they have an interest in their public image, where McElroy is easily the most frequent to appear on the streets, evidenced by the fact it was him that announced the new Street Boss proposal in Vegas even though it was a four-family initiative. Likewise, New York has its own mischief-makers. For instance, and you won’t know this but I thought it was a bit of a bombshell at the time, one New Yorker, who shall remain nameless, approached a very senior Detroit member several weeks ago with concrete warning that the entire family was to be taken out that same evening by Chicago. The catch? I can’t confirm if the approach was made while he was working for New York at the time. My source also refused to confirm this, although I suspect it was because he didn’t know. Either way, it didn’t matter because Detroit ignored the warning and nothing happened. But the New Yorker now works under Whitman and he’s a high rank. You do the math. Likewise someone working for Whitman in Vegas confirms that, a few months back, he was threatened by a low-ranking Detroit member over some sort of dispute. One of Detroit’s also rogued against Miami, although he was from a prominent New York family. These guys are always so busy; it’s difficult to follow all the angles. Reporter: And with this edition, do you plan to get back to regular publications? Hearst: It’s hard. Over Christmas I don’t expect any new editions, although that might change if something newsworthy occurs that is fit to print. I would certainly like to apologise for the infrequency of the editions, but I hope you’ll at least appreciate that, unlike past editors, I never come to the streets seeking reaction or praise. It’s not what motivates me, but I do believe in the importance of the news. We thanked Mr Hearst for his time. WICKED WHISPERS: WE TOLD YOU SO. Several weeks ago we’d predicted that former New York Boss Tre might not be returning for some time. We were right. Permanently. Someone whacked him before he had a chance to return to his base in New York and try and reclaim old glories. With New York now taken, Vegas open and only LA, Atlanta, Dallas and Denver remaining, it’s unlikely that his son will follow in his father’s footsteps anytime soon. We suspect he’d be annoyed if there was even the slightest chance that the hit was done on contract. Detroit Boy King and general all-round dandy Rufio got himself into trouble, with the Detroit Wise Guy apparently travelling south to attack long-serving Miami soldier Paulo Dinardo. The result, perhaps predictably, was that he was murdered in retaliation, possibly by Miami hardman Vito Corleone. Rufio’s personal distaste for Paulo Dinardo and his Priesthood suits was privately well-known but the dispute between them achieved a sense of karmic balance when Dinardo followed Rufio to the grave. It’s suggested they may both be in heaven, hell or somewhere in between, shanking each other repeatedly. Detroit crack pot Lord Lucan has reportedly been suicidal for several weeks. Rarely seen in public, but known as a confidant of James McElroy’s, the good Lord was apparently recently accosted by a ghost in a scene that was described by one eyewitness who saw the aftermath as “Dickensian.” Whether this has stayed his hand from putting his pistol in his mouth is unknown, but it’s expected to, at the very least, put the skids on his Detroit mayoral campaign. Drug-addled Las Vegas Street Boss Spreader has already survived a number of attempts on his life, including a near-miss as he left the Vegas address of a well-known Hollywood prostitute, a bottle of whiskey in hand. However we’ve heard a rumour that these botched assassinations have less to do with his current standing as one of the toughest Street Bosses in Las Vegas and more to do with a hefty contract on his life. 600 favours was supposedly the price, to have Spreader as dead as dead can be. The problem for the man willing to pay, rumoured to be connected to “The Scotsman,” is that none of the families are allowed to take such a contract as it goes against the open city policy. Apparently it hasn’t stopped two family leaders from considering it...